A rental house owned by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is drawing complaints from some nearby residents who wish the mayor would keep the yard free of weeds.

“Him being the mayor and working to keep the city rejuvenated, you would think he would keep it up,” said neighbor Tony Roberts. “He could certainly afford to have someone come over and do it.”

The eaves on the north Denver home need painting, and the yard is filled with dead leaves and 2-foot-high weeds in some spots.

Still, Roberts said, he and his wife, Sara, voted for Hickenlooper for governor. Hickenlooper will take office in January.

KMGH-TV reported this week that neighbors view the house as an eyesore. Hickenlooper on Thursday accepted responsibility.

“I am the landlord and should have done a better job keeping up with it,” he told The Denver Post.

City records show there have been no complaints since May 2009.

But from July 2006 through December 2008, city inspectors, who work for an agency that reports directly to the mayor, issued three notices of violation against the property for “trash and vegetation.” All of the problems were corrected.

Hickenlooper bought the house at 4564 W. Moncrieff Place in 1982 and lived there until he moved into a loft in Lower Downtown in the late 1980s. During his first run for mayor, in 2003, he often touted that he was one of the first people to Xeriscape his lawn.

“With Xeriscape, you have to keep after it,” Hickenlooper said Thursday. “If you let the weeds get away from you, it can look pretty funky.”

Hickenlooper, who now lives in Park Hill, said he leases the property to his former executive assistant, Tony Young, who now acts as a liaison between the mayor and neighborhood groups.

“I never set out to be a bad neighbor,” Young said Thursday. “I’ll do some of the basic raking of leaves and yard cleanup. It’s my responsibility.”

Young signed a lease accepting responsibility to maintain the property in excellent condition, but under city law, property owners, not renters, are ultimately responsible for property.

The mayor said Young has battled health issues and that that has been part of the problem.

“What are you going to do? Evict someone who was in a hospital (off and on) for a couple of years?” Hickenlooper said.

He noted that the West Highland area has “transformed itself into a real wonderful neighborhood,” and he understands why residents are upset. He committed to drive by the property every few weeks “to make sure there is no deterioration.”

“That’s the irony,” he said. “I don’t disagree with them. . . . We will maintain it in good condition.”

Nearby residents said a neighbor used to take care of the mayor’s lawn but that she eventually grew weary of the work and stopped.

Jody Musso, who has lived in the area since 1956, said she wishes Hickenlooper would do his part to keep the area clean. She recently put a new roof on her home.

“You tell Hick that Miss Musso told him he better clean it up because she likes him a lot,” she said.

Sue Cobb, spokeswoman for Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department, said the city never issued fines against the mayor because the property always was brought into compliance.

Under city law, fines occur only if the violation is not corrected or if a third violation is found in a single growing season, something that has not occurred at the mayor’s rental property, Cobb said.

“Our inspectors responded to the complaints regarding this property in complete accordance with our policies and procedures,” Cobb said. “They promptly investigated each complaint and rechecked for compliance after each notice.”

Christopher N. Osher is a reporter on the investigation team at The Denver Post who has covered law enforcement, judicial and regulatory issues for the news organization. He also has reported from war zones in Africa.

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